In the world of high-end audio, it appears that every improvement in audio reproduction, however small, is welcome. Accordingly, research is ongoing into every aspect of audio reproduction performed by various elements of audio equipment. From the power provided to the equipment to the room in which the output of the equipment is enjoyed, no potential degradation is ignored.
A common method to reproduce sound waves from a loudspeaker involves the use of a cone connected to a coil-magnet drive system. Cones that are low in mass may be seen to respond quickly to small or high-frequency signals. Further, cones that are also stiff may be seen to prevent deflection of the cone during the forward and rearward vibration movement that creates sound pressure waves. This may be seen as beneficial in that deflection of the cone is considered to produce distortion. To combine low mass and stiffness in a single cone, the cone is typically shaped like a horn, since the horn shape has been shown to provide a stronger, less flexible structure than a flat membrane.
The horn shape, however, means that vibrations from the cone produce a wavefront that does not originate from a single point source. Further, the horn shape may be shown to lead to pressure waves that are concentrated towards a central focal point of the horn shape.